


All that remains

by StoriesbyNessie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Harry Potter is a Good Friend, Holding Hands, M/M, Nature, POV Ron Weasley, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Secret Crush, Waterfall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24454909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoriesbyNessie/pseuds/StoriesbyNessie
Summary: Harry takes Ron to a secret place near the Hogwarts castle to distract Ron from the pain of losing Fred.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 108
Collections: Waterfall Connections





	All that remains

**All that remains**

“Come on; I’d like to show you something. It’s not far.”

Harry tugged on Ron’s arm, and he reluctantly followed down the hill. Behind them, the Hogwarts castle stood as proud and beautiful as it always had done; the rebuilding was really coming together. It was the beginning of July, and two months ago, on May 2nd, they had defeated Voldemort and ended it all. Or rather, everything _was_ supposed to end that day. Little did they know then, that after the battle was over, the learning of breathing, walking and _living_ again began.

Voldemort might be dead, but the memories were still alive. They haunted them at night and crawled around in the back of their heads during the day. Ron’s throat seemed to close up all the time, and he found himself utterly numb. He and Harry hadn’t left Hogwarts at all since the battle, staying behind to help the sick and wounded, comfort the crying and identifying the dead. Then the repairs of the castle and the Hogwarts grounds remained, which they had volunteered to do without blinking. It was a way to stay busy in this trying time, to keep the thoughts and threatening-to-break-free anxiety in check. Ron had taken shallow breaths all this time, afraid that if he allowed himself to take a deep one, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He’d be thrown somewhere dark, darker than when the Slytherin locket revealed his inner fears. Ron knew if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to find his way back. Not this time.

All his strength had been used up in the battle. Ron didn’t want to show himself as weak in front of Harry, so he pretended he wasn’t down, pretended that nothing was wrong and that his older brother hadn’t died- he had just taken a long holiday and would be back soon. He would show up maybe during Christmas- swing the front door to the Burrow wide open and ask if anyone had missed him. He would say he was sorry for being gone so long, but he would never leave again. Their family would forgive him of course, and Fred and George would be together again. They would, Ron was sure of it. Or he had been, clinging on to his fantasy for dear life the first weeks when he got up in the morning, helped to look after the injured, surveyed the construction damages of the castle, checked in on his family, went to bed for the night. Every day the same routine, the same steps, the constant repetition. His mother was sick from the grief, and his dad tried to stay strong for her and the rest of the Weasley children, but Ron saw that he struggled immensely to hold it together. They all did.

Everyone could see Thestrals now, as they had seen so much death during the war. The winged dark and thin horses gave it away too; Fred really was gone, he had seen his lifeless eyes for fuck’s sake. He would never come back.

_Everything hurts._

Harry thought Ron needed a break from all the work. He seemed to have unlimited strength; Ron didn’t know where his best mate got it all from. Harry took over when Ron was too dizzy, too unfocused to cast the spells required to put Hogwarts back together. He told Ron to take breaks; he told him to eat. Ron suspected Harry watched over him at night when he pretended to be asleep. He could feel eyes on him and always wondered if they belonged to Harry.

“ _I have a secret,”_ Harry had winked at him thirty minutes earlier during breakfast this morning. It was Saturday and a blue sky outside, not a cloud in sight. “ _Something I_ ’ _ve never shown you or anyone else before.”_

Ron watched Harry’s back as they walked towards the Forbidden forest. He had on a blue shirt with stains on from all the work they had done. Harry had been wearing the same shirt for days now, probably even slept in it too. Not that he paid attention. Ron hadn’t changed clothes for some time either, and he secretly cursed himself for not having had a shower before agreeing to follow along on Harry’s adventure. Now Harry would see him all messy and…

_No._ Ron shook the thought out of his head as Harry led him through a narrow passage between the trees. He couldn’t think about that. He wasn’t allowed to think about that.

It wasn’t normal to catch feelings for your best friend.

Moments later, Harry gestured proudly to the open area in front of him. He turned his gaze to Ron and smiled weakly; the first smile Ron had seen in a long time. Harry had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked absolutely shattered - just as shattered as Ron felt. Overcome with wanting to hug him, Ron forced himself to look at what Harry wanted to show him instead.

He heard the soft sounds of water drizzling onto rocks before he looked. Harry had taken him to a pool of some sort with the bluest water Ron had ever seen in his entire life. He saw water tumble down the high mountain and how it foamed when it hit the surface of the pool. Trees, bushes and flowers in all imaginable colours framed the scene, and Ron got the weird sensation he was looking at a painting.

“What do you think?” Harry stepped out on the soft green grass, damp from morning dew and held out his arms. His unruly black hair stood in all directions on his head; he looked mental. If Ron hadn’t felt so shitty, he would have laughed. “Pretty neat, huh?”

“How did you find this place?” Ron hugged his own body and followed Harry as he climbed a particularly large grey rock that had enough room for both of them to sit on. The air pinched his skin; he felt chilly down to his very bones. It wasn’t cold out, but Ron had been freezing uncontrollably since the battle and kept wondering when it would end.

_If_ it would ever end.

Harry shrugged and looped his arms around his trouser-clad legs. “Found it once while I was out walking by myself,” he said, resting his green eyes on the pool. “You can probably swim in the water, but I haven’t tried. Ever since discovering it, I just like coming here to escape for a while. It’s soothing, and it cheers me up when I’m down.” A subtle blush crept over Harry’s cheeks at the small confession.

Ron nodded slowly. “Looks like a really cool place,” he said, not knowing what to say. It felt like a lie too. No doubt it was beautiful out here and the atmosphere serene, but he couldn’t take it in. At this point, he might have just as well been sitting on the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, getting trampled by people and felt equally as indifferent about it. He was completely numb; every emotion turned off.

“It’s my favourite one,” Harry said quietly.

Ron shifted awkwardly on the stone. “Harry, I know you’re trying to make me feel better. I appreciate it but…”

_I_ ’ _m so sorry._

“It’s not like that,” Harry said, his eyes turning from the water to look at Ron. He looked at him with such raw emotion in his emerald eyes that Ron almost wanted to throw up. As if reading Ron’s mind, Harry continued, “Don’t be sorry. I understand, Ron. We can just sit here in silence. Not say anything at all. Just listen to the birds and stuff.”

Ron was pretty sure Harry never before had wanted to sit and just listen to the sounds of nature. They both knew none of them had the patience for that. The thought was amusing and made Ron smile, despite the situation.

“Thanks, Harry…” he said flatly, his blue eyes locking onto his best friend’s. Harry looked so beautiful in the light of the morning sun, and Ron hated himself for thinking about that. He shouldn’t have those thoughts, not when his brother had died so recently, and they had lost other people in the battle too. He should only mourn and not think about how Harry was too damn nice and too damn present and bloody hell… too damn close. Without Ron realising, Harry had huddled closer to Ron on the rock. Maybe he didn’t mean to, he just slipped or something. Ron’s mind made no sense these days, but the warmth of Harry’s body against his own as their skins brushed against each other’s, felt… so sweet. He only wished there weren’t any layers of clothing between them.

Harry looked away when he scooted closer, probably pretending he hadn’t moved. Ron’s heart made a little jump in his chest and something tingled in the pit of his stomach. His mouth felt dry.

”You’re welcome,” said Harry in the same low voice as before.

Their hands were close, and Ron longed for to lace their fingers together. Subconsciously, without considering whether it was right or wrong, he reached out and caressed the back of Harry’s hand with his thumb. The sun made Ron feel warm and soft like jelly, and it was tough to form any coherent thoughts.

He felt Harry tense up beside him. He turned to face Ron again, worried eyes behind round spectacles.

”What are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” Ron almost whispered. “I don’t know anymore, Harry…”

Harry took his hand fully in Ron’s then. He entwined their fingers the way Ron had wanted to just minutes ago, warm fingers against Ron’s colder ones. “It’s okay,” Harry assured him. “You can hold my hand if you like.” Harry continued something about Ron being sad and confused and didn’t know what he wanted.

Ron swallowed; there was a lump in his throat, and it hurt so fucking much.

_You’ve no idea, Harry. I always want to hold your hand. Not just now, not only because I’m tired or don’t make sense in my head. I love you; I want to hold your hand forever._

Ron didn’t say that. He didn’t say anything. Harry smiled again, squeezed Ron’s hand, and both boys turned their gazes back to the water.

The birds chirped in the treetops, and the faint scent from the flowers was sweet like honey. Ron drew in a breath; his chest burnt from the emotions welling up inside of him that felt too much. He squeezed his eyes shut, and the world temporarily disappeared before his eyes. He concentrated on the soft sounds of the waterfall; Harry might be right. Maybe it was a bit soothing.

Maybe.

_Fin_


End file.
